Pointless, but I think I want one

If you have more than about 5p saved then all you can get is basic
jobseekers allowance, which I think is about 50 quid/week, for 6 months.
IIRC you don't any assistance with eg council tax, prescriptions,
dentist etc. until you are really broke.

In order to get jobseekers you have to fill out their stupid little
booklets and make up stuff about what you have been doing to find work.

I did get paid travel/interview expenses but that may have just been a
local scheme.

 

you're allowed savings of up to around 4000 quid or so before it starts
affecting your dole and housing benefit.
(well,this is if you live alone, dunno about when you live with someone
who's earning)

You can only claim travel expenses when you're summoned to an interview
that's on a different day to your normal signing onnage.

 

you can claim travel expenses for job interviews "outside your local area".
They prefer you to apply in advance so they can issue a travel warrant but
you can claim retrospectively.

 

This was travel expenses to go to a potential employer, but as I said
may have been a local thing.

 

gah, quit ginging me by a measly minute!

 

All in all it involves so much paperwork that being unemployed has to be
looked at as a career choice. You have to learn your way around so many
bits of government documents that unless you are considering it as a
career its just not worth the effort or stress. Blood / stone kind of
thing.

Finding a job is probably a better bet.

 

**** that's harsh. Makes me glad we live in Switerland. There they
view unemployment as a temporary setback that may affect many people,
so the system is set up to allow folk to carry on living properly
until they find a new job.

Been looking at this a little, as J will be out of work come December.
Don't think she'll struggle for work, but even so, it's worth looking
into.

In essence, the state will pay her 70% of her previous salary for up
to two years.

Which is nice.

 

Jebus!

 

ah.


As mentioned to Ogden, I don't need the money, but WTF have I actually
been paying shitloads of NI for all these years?

 

So the workshy scum can maintain their drug and Sky TV habit.

 

If you have kids it's 80%, apparently.

 

From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

 

Hmm, one hates to admit it, but no.

I realise now that

1) This points me out as being a bit of a cock.
2) I've been off the government unemployment stats
3) I've missed out on a year of NI stamps (but you can make these up
afterwards, anyway)
4) I won't be able to get any back to work support, nor be eligible
for any LT Unemployed schemes.

There's a few reasons I didn't, however none of them are good.

1) I wasn't actively jobseeking for 4 months (Sabbatical)
2) I have more money than Croesus or Paul Corfield
3) I was, and still am bouncing between here and NI, making signing on
a pain.
4) It concentrated the mind on Job apps, with enough interest in my CV
to think "there's something just around the corner ..."
5) DTD Sums up my apathy neatly about dealing with the government and
jumping through hoops for a few quid.

I can also do more than just IT, but the wolf isn't close enough to
the door yet to force me to branch out ..

HTH

Paul.

 

Why have you got a load of shit bikes then?

 

You're getting cause and effect all muddled up.

 

"one man's shit bikes is anothers treasured possessions"

Or, to put it another way, i'd rather keep my spare money in
depreciating low value assets, than depreciating high value assets

I mean, never mind the bikes, have you actually seen the cars I
drive ?!

Paul.

 

You still got the POS fronterror then?

 

No, and I'm not sure I want to )

 

Oh hell yes. It looks an even bigger pile of shit now if that were
possible.

I love the way Vauxhall red fades down to matt pink

Paul.

 

Ha, I had one as a company car for a couple of years and TBF it wasn't
that bad, especially as I mainly wasn't paying for the fuel it
guzzled.